Compaq redefines home computers with small, usefull Presarios
Compaq redefines home computers with small, usefull Presarios
By Zatni Arbi
JAKARTA (JP): From time to time, we see products that, at
first glance, look very familiar. However, when we look closely,
we notice small improvements on what we have been used to. In the
world of PCs and notebooks, these improvements can sometimes be
minor but make life easier nonetheless.
Other times we see breakthroughs that change the course of the
technology and industry. In each case, however, our most common
reaction would be, "Why didn't they think of it before?"
Recently, Compaq launched their new Presarios -- the tower,
minitower and notebook -- that are loaded with small but useful
new features.
The top of the line Presario 4800 Series, as you would expect
from today's high-end machine, runs on an Intel Pentium II
processor. That's no news. The front panel has a cover that
protects the drives from dust -- and haze from the forest fires.
That's no news either. The price is US$2,999. That's still no
news.
What is new is the placement of the video and audio connector
ports in front, on top of the drive shelves. That's neat. In the
past, we've had to grab the entire housing and turn it around
first because these jacks were usually located at the back, at
the rear end of the expansion card.
You know what I mean? Well, try this: unplug all the speakers
and the microphone from your multimedia PC, leave it alone for a
couple of days until you've forgotten where each of the plugs
should go in and try to reconnect them.
That's how difficult it is. But, with the color-coded ports
now located in front of the housing -- and it's actually not
really too difficult to move them to the front -- we no longer
have to guess where the jacks go.
The new Compaq comes with Intel ProShare included, so you can
connect your video camera and create a short video clip of your
own act. Why a short one? Because you will need a lot of hard
disk space to store video data. The 2.1 GB hard disk (3.2 GB or
larger is actually available) would be filled up completely if
you record just 10 minutes of video.
The video capture program is interesting, too. You can make
the video image brighter if the room is too dark, for example, or
improve the contrast if the object is too bright. Once recorded,
you can send the clip of your little baby to Grandma via E-mail.
Suppose you don't want to create a video clip but, instead,
you want a video-conferencing session with a friend who lives
across the ocean, all you'll have to do is unplug the video
camera and plug in a simpler PC video camera, such as the one
from Connectix.
A couple of clicks, and you both can see and talk to each
other. Again, this is not difficult to do, as the ports are
located in front.
Other features for the enthusiasts (with healthy bank
accounts, of course) include what you may find in any high-end
personal computer soon: 2X DVD-ROM drive, MPEG-2, AC-3 Dolby
Digital surround sound, Advanced Graphics Port (AGP) -- the new
graphics standard from Intel, 4 MB SyncGraphics (video) memory,
512 Pipeline Burst cache, and a speakerphone with every telephony
convenience.
Oh, another new improvement that I almost forgot to mention
is the backlit Easy Access Buttons. With illuminated icons, these
buttons allow you to turn the PC on instantly, control the DVD-
ROM drive and the speakerphone. The icon will blink when the
button is pressed. Small thing, but useful nonetheless.
Still another nifty feature is the Internet button. Press this
one, and the PC will initiate the process of connecting to the
Internet. Understandably, we need to setup the system before we
can start using it.
Discman
When was the last time you used your Discman? Chances are, you
could play your favorite CD for two hours at the most, and then
you were already looking for power outlet. What about 8 hours of
continuous play? By all means, you'd say. This one is expensive,
but you'll get a Pentium notebook along with the Discman.
What is interesting about the new Presario 1200 and 1600
Series is that we can play the CD drive without having to turn on
the notebook.
That's the secret behind the eight-hour playing time. Hm, did
I hear: "Why didn't they think of it earlier?" Like the previous
Presario notebooks, the buttons are placed in such a way that we
don't even have to open the lid to use them.
Another interesting thing about the more expensive notebook
(Presario 1600 Series) is the bass enhancement feature. Compaq
calls it 4X Bass Reflex.
You'll see an open chamber in each side where the thumps come
out. It won't pound your heart or shatter your ears, but, then
again, your Discman cannot give you any better sounds.
The entry-level Presario 1210 also comes with a high-contrast
dual scan LCD screen. Its size is a modest 12.1 inches. The more
expensive Presario 1600 Series, as expected, comes with a TFT
display -- but still 12.1 inches. In many cases, the passive
matrix display provides better protection from prying eyes of the
person sitting in the next seat.
Battery
Of course, we can accurately check the amount of juice left in
the battery by turning the notebook on and running the special
utility.
But here's another innovation introduced by Compaq: On the
battery pack itself there are four tiny LEDs. You take it out of
its well and press a button. You'll know how much power it has in
store by noting which of the LEDs turns on. If you're a road
warrior, you can have more than one battery packs and you can
test each one without having to boot up your notebook every time.
One thing that I really would like to see in a notebook is a
standardized battery. If we run out of power, we can just run to
the Seven-eleven store on the corner and buy a fully-charged new
battery. Once, in the past, Compaq used batteries made by
Duracell, but I guess because the design of the notebook kept
changing, it was difficult to stick to Duracell.
Notebook designs tend to emphasize slimness and therefore it's
getting more difficult to fit a standard Duracell battery into
it.
Nevertheless, all the new improvements found in the latest
Presarios, including the front placement of the video and audio
jacks, audio-CD playing without having to boot up the notebook,
and power indication on the battery pack itself, are certainly
welcomed. Hopefully the other PC and notebook vendors adopt them
and even improve on them.